Why Turtles Can’t Survive Without Their Shells

“A turtle can’t crawl out of its shell. In fact, the shell is actually part of a turtle’s skeleton, as much of our ribcage is of ours. But if you could peer inside a shell, you’d find some of the most unusual features in the animal kingdom, such as a butt — err, cloaca — that some species use to breathe underwater.”

This is what the description of the video below reads. You can learn more about why turtles can’t live without their shells if you watch the video.

Here’s a short excerpt from the video: “A turtle’s shell is as much a part of its body as our ribcage is of ours. In fact, it is their ribcage, and their spine, and their vertebrae, and their sternum. Basically, a turtle’s skeleton is inside out.”